How To Build A Career In Education? The Complete Guide

We talk about nation-building. Who do you think plays a critical role in this? Our teachers, professionals in the education sector, it’s them who form the backbone of any country. Of course engineers, economists, and doctors have a huge part in this. But it’s the teacher who will make you a doctor or engineer. It’s them who are behind their success and growth. In the words of APJ Abdul Kalam, a teacher is the backbone of any country, the pillar upon which all aspirations are converted into realities. Therefore, building a career in education will give you access to a field that never falls back.

Where every industry fears a dead phase, the education sector is one of the evergreen pools of career opportunities. As per the Invest India report, India’s education market is expected to see double growth by 2030. This is where India’s demography plays a key role. There is a large market for education with a significant population between the ages of 5 to 24 years. According to an article by The Print, public schools in India face a shortage of qualified educators. The government is keen to address this issue, creating numerous teacher vacancies. This implies that there are huge opportunities if you build a career in education.

Through this article, we aim to help you kick-start your career in the education sector. We have also discussed the opportunities the future will hold.

How to Start a Career in Education?

1. Find Your Goals

Before you start preparing for anything, identifying your goal is the first step to take. Once you are clear with your objectives you are set to plan out other things. Identify your interests, strengths, weaknesses, and short-term and long-term goals. These questions will help you get a clear picture of your goals and you will be able to identify the most suitable path. If you are a graduate or postgraduate, you just need to pursue the professional course of BEd. or MEd. to get started.

2. Pursue the Right Education

After completing high school, pursue a bachelor’s degree in your field of interest. Then you become eligible to opt for a Bachelor of Education/ BEd. programme which is a professional course. Yes, you must graduate in any discipline to pursue the professional course. While this may be sufficient to teach kindergarten or primary school students, to teach higher standards, institutions may ask for a Master of Education (MEd.) degree. Many institutions offer integrated programmes such as BA-BEd. or BSc-BEd. So if you have already decided to build a career in education, integrated courses are the best options.

3. Appear for the Entrance Exam

Clearing an entrance exam is not mandatory in every college. However, to find jobs in the government sector, you will have to clear competitive exams like the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) or the State Teacher Eligibility Test (STET). Some private may also require this qualification.

4. Strengthen your Resume

An empty resume won’t get you anywhere. Adding academic qualifications is important, and so is gaining experience. Start working part-time or full-time in coaching centres or private schools. You can even start home tuition. With this, you can get practical exposure to being a teacher, how to prepare a class curriculum, and what teaching methods to use. This will prepare you for future challenges and make your profile strong among other candidates.

5. Apply for the Right Job

Are you done with education, resume building, and clearing entrance? Then start applying for relevant jobs on online job portals like Indeed, Naukri.com, Glassdoor, or others. If you are planning for a government sector job, you will have to keep a tab on the official notification on any vacancy that may arise.

Skills Every Professional in the Education Sector Must Have

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills

• Compassion for teaching

• Patience is the key

• Good management skills

• Should have people management skills

• Knowledge of lesson planning

• Basic computer skills

• Should be familiar with online education and study portals

• Efficient time management skills

Meanwhile, these skills are not the only essentials for a successful career in education. A teacher must be equipped with many other things to prepare our nation’s future changemakers.

Careers Paths in Education You Can Pursue

The education field offers various career paths ranging from teaching to administrative roles. To give you an overview, we have combined the possible career paths in education.

Source: Ambition Box

The salary range may differ as per the experience level and the location. Moreover, the above range is the average salary for freshers with no or minimum work experience.

What Do Teachers Do?

Teaching as a job might seem easy to everyone. A teacher is the second parent of a child so you can imagine the weight on her shoulders. They strive to help their students become a better person in life and shine in their professional spheres. Taking a look at the classrooms, here are a few responsibilities of teachers:

• Preparing daily class lessons and monthly calendar

• Create assignments and curricular activities to make learning more fun

• Prepare student reports and share regular feedback with parents

• Planning school events and ensuring active student participation

• Providing counselling and behaviour management services

• Participating in faculty training programmes

• Staying updated with the subject matter and including new aspects in the existing lessons

Wrapping Up

Education is a vast sector and so does the opportunities it holds. With the government’s goal of enhancing the education standards and doubling the enrolment roles, you will surely see a boost in career scope. This is beneficial not only for students but also for candidates seeking a career in education. Therefore, to build a career in education, you should start preparing from today.